Rim expanding and contracting device



June 9, 1925. 1,541,617

J. M. BORN RIu EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING. DEVICE Filed Dec. '27, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEV June 9, 1925.:

J. M. BORN RIM EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

Filed Dec. 27, 1921 5 7 INQVENTOR} ATTORNEY Patented June 9, 1925.

iliTE" STATES l ihtl? JULIUS M. BORN, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

RIM EXPANDING- AND CONTRACTING DEVICE.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 525,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jones M. BORN, a

' citizen of the United States, residin at St.

Paul, in the county of Ramsey and tate of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Rim Expanding and Contracting Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for contracting or expanding split rims of vehicle wheels, and has for its object the provision of a simple, compact and powerful device to which a rim may be readily applied with little trouble, and by which the-expansion and contraction of the rim maybe effected with ease and certainty.

This invention contemplates the use of a movable rim-engaging member cooperating witha plurality of fixed rim-engaging members and a novel operating-means for the movable member.

Another provision is a new and improved means for maintaining the ends of the split rim in their proper relation when the rims are expanded orcontracted. s

. The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing in the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no-material departurefrom the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the rim contracting or expanding device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame.

Fig. 3 is a partial view in longitudinal section disclosing the operating mechanism.

Fig. A is a detached view in detail of the movable rim-engaging member showing its pivotal connections in section.

Referring to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, 1 designates a table or support mounted upon standards or legs 2 of angle iron construction and secured to the four corners of the table 1. Base bars 3 of angle iron construeone of the standards with the lower end of an adjacent standard for bracing the standards. A slotted beam 22 secured to the oppositely-disposed base members 3 also braces the base of the framework.

Rigidly mounted upon the support or table 1, preferably adjacent to two of the corners, are fixed rim-engaging members 5 and 6, each provided with an upstanding vertical jaw 7 adapted'to engage the inner face of a split rim, and a hook-shaped jaw 8 spaced from the jaw 7 and of less height than the same and adapted to engage about the lower outer edge of a vehicle rim 9.

An operating rod 10 is rotatably mounted in a bearing sleeve 11 secured beneath table 1 at the side of the table opposite the fixed members 5, 6. The inner end of the operating rod has a bearing 12 secured to the underneath side of the table at the end of an elongated slot 13 formed in the table 1. A portion 14 of the rotatable member 10 is provided with threads adapted to engage an internally threaded sleeve or nut 15 mounted on the rod. The portion 16 of the rod 10 which passes through the bearing sleeve 11, is smooth and has a squared end 17 adapted to receive a crank 18 for rotating the member 10.

A lever 19 has its lower end 20 loosely fitted in a hole or socket 21 formed in the brace beam 22. At the upper end of the lever is secured a yoke 2-3, which embraces the sleeve .15 .and is pivotally connected to the same at 24.

A swingable. arm 25 is pivotally mounted at 26 to a U-shaped block 27 the arms of said block embracing a portion of the swingable arm 25. The U-shaped block is p ivotally mounted at 28 between the free ends of the arms of the yoke 23. The outer free end of the arm 25 forms a movable rimengaging member and is provided with an abutting face or jaw 29, adapted to engage the inner face of the split rim 9 in the same manner as the upstanding jaws 7 of the fixed rim-engaging members 5 and 6. A hooklike jaw 30 is secured to the arm 25 and is curved upwardly and over thejaw 29 and extends forwardly of the same, and is pro vided with a hook 31 at its end for the pur pose of engaging the upper flanged edge of the rim 9, as shown in Fig. 1.

A curved toe 32 integrally formed upon the outer free end of the jaw 30 of the movable rim-engaging member, is adapted to engage one end of the split rim as the rim is contracted, to prevent the other free end of the rim, that is, the one not engaged by the hook 31, from being thrown outwardly and upwardly away from the tire as would otherwise be the case.

By reason of the pivotal connections 26 and 28, and by reason of the movement of the sleeve 15 on the threaded part 1 the arm 25 has three distinct movements. In the first place, it is swingable on its pivotal point 26 in a horizontal plane. Secondly, it is swingable on its pivotal point 28 in a vertical plane. Thirdly it is also movable bodily in a horizontal plane and in alinement with the vertical plane passing through the rotatable member 10.

The object of permitting the arm 25 to swing in a horizontal plane on the pivot 26 is for the purpose of avoiding friction on the rim, as the rim is contracted or expanded, since the rim moves in a horizontal direction. The swinging of the arm is regulated by the position of the jaw 29 in its engagement with the inner face of the rim 9. The pivot pin or bolt 26 on which the arm 25 swings is removable. Therefore, said arm may be detached from its pivotal position on the U-shaped block 27 and the hook-like jaw 30 may be inverted or reversed in position so that it is possible to effect an engagement between the lower edge of the rim and the hook 31 instead of the manner of holding the rim as previously described.

In the operation of my device, when. expanding the rim, it is only necessary to raise the arm 25 and drop the tire directly on the support, so that the inner fiat face of the split rim 9 will be ngaged by the vertical members or jaws 7 of the fixer rim-engaging members 5, 6. The arm 25 may then be dropped upon and engaged with the rim by the jaw 29.

The rotation of the crankin the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, will cause the screw-thread d part l l: to engage the threads of the sleeve 15 and draw the sleeve towards the front part of the table, thereby causing the upper end of the lever 19 to move forwardly. The forward movement of the arm 25 will cause the movable jaw 29 to engage the rim and force the split ends of the rim apart. The statimiary aws 7 will engage the rim at spaced points along its inner face and cooperate with the movable jaw to expand the rim. During this operation, the arm 25 will be moving substantially longitudinally as viewed in Fig. 1.

If it be desired to contract a rim, the hook 31 will be placed in engagement with the upper flange of the rim, while the hooks 8 of the stationary rim-engaging members flange of the rim. The crank 18 should be rotated in a direction which is reverse to the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. This will cause the sleeve 15 to move away from the front of the device, and cause the upper end of the lever 19, tomoverearwardly and thereby cause the hook 31 to draw inwardly on the rim and cause the same to contract. The hook 31 is usually placed in engagement with that portion of the rim which is adjacent the split portion,

and which carries the lugs adapted to engage certain slots in the other end of the split ring. As the hook 31 is moved inwardly and draws upon the upper flange, that portion of the rim is contracted and forced away froin the other free end of the split rim. As soon as the usual lugs are released from their slots in the other free end, that end will tend to flare outwardly and be readily displaced from the device, but the toe 82 will engage this portion and maintain it in its proper place with relation to the other end of the rim and the tire. This is shown in Fig. 4. lVhen the rim is sufliciently contracted, the tire may be readily removed.

It will be understood that a very simple device is provided whereby a rim maybe contracted and expanded with a minimum of effort and in a very short space of time. The lever 19 permits placing the screw threaded shaft 10 below the table upon which the rim rests while being expanded or contracted, so that the screw is entirely out of the way. Another advantage is that the arm 25 is moved in a straight line substantially parallel with the table top, whereby the full force of the screw is exerted in expanding or contracting, with no tendency toward separating laterally the split ends of the rim. Then, too, there is a gain in displacement owing to the fact that the screw acts on the same side of the fulcrum but nearer to it than the arm 25 which exerts the force. There are other advantages resulting from the use of the lever 19 which will be clear to those skilled in the The arm 25 being swingable horizontally, moves slightly during the contracting of the rim, so that the rim is coiled, not merely pulled inwardly. This loosens the tire evenly all around ready to be lifted off. So far as I am aware, no other rim tool acts in this manner.

hat is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a table to support a rim with a tire thereon, of a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members mounted on the top of the table, a movable rim-engaging member operating above the top of the table, means for pivotally mounting said movable rim-engaging member so as to will be placed in engagement with the lower swing in both a vertical plane as well as ahorizontal plane relatively to a rim on said table, and means for moving said movable rim-engaging member in a horizontal plane toward or from the stationary rim-engaging members.

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a support, a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members mounted thereon, a lever fulcrumed on the support near one end, a movable rim-engaging member pivotally mounted on the lever at. the other end, and a member for swinging the lever to cause movement of the rim-engaging member, said lever swinging member being connected to the lever intermediate the fulcrum and rim engaging member.

In a device of the class described, a table or support, a plurality of fixed rimengaging members mounted thereon, a lever, a movable rim-engaging member mounted on said lever, a rotatable screwthreaded member for operating the lever, and a sleeve threaded on the rotatable memher, said lever being pivotally mounted on the sleeve.

4. In a device of the character described, a table, a plurality of rim-engaging members rigidly mounted on the table, an oscillatable lever provided with a movable rimengaging member, said member mounted to move in two planes at right angles, and a screw-threaded crank shaft for oscillating the lever whereby said member may also be shifted longitudinally in a plane parallel to the plane of the table.

5. In a device of the class described, comprising a table or support, a plurality of stationary rim engaging members mounted thereon, a movable rim-engaging member, means for operating said movable member for forcing the overlapped ends of the rim apart, and means projecting from the outer end of the movable rim-engaging member to prevent one of the disengaged overlapped ends of the rim from moving upwardly after the rim is split.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of table or support, a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members mounted on said table or support, and a movable rim-engaging member consisting of an abutting face or jaw adapted to engage the inner face of the vehicle rim, and a curved hook-like jaw extending above and in advance of the abutting face or jaw, said hook-like jaw being provided with acurved toe upon the outer free end thereof, said toe being adapted to engage one end of the split rim when contracting the rim. I

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a table or support, a pair of stationary rim-engaging members mounted.

thereon and adapted to engage a vehicle rim at spaced points, and a single movable rim-engaging member adapted to engage the rim at a difierent point, said movable rim-engaging member having a swinging movement in a horizontal plane, a swinging movement in a vertical plane, and a bodily movement in a horizontal plane and hand operated means connected with the movable rim-engaging member for causing said bodily movement in a horizontal plane.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a table or support, a plurality of rim-engaging members rigidly mo'unted on the table or support, a movable rim-engaging member comprising an arm having an abutting face and a hook-like jaw, a lever, means for swinging the lever, a block pivoted to one end of the lever, and means for pivotally connecting said arm to said block whereby the movable rim-engaging member has two distinct swinging movements.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with a table to support a rim with a tire thereon, of a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members, means for rigidly and separately securing each of said members to the top of the table in spaced relation to each other, a movable rim-engaging member, and means for operating said movable member to move across the top of the table, said rim-engaging members being wholly independent of each other.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a table to support a rim with a tire thereon, of a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members, means for rigidly and separately securing each of said members to the top of the table in spaced relation to each other, each of said stationary rim-engaging members being formed of a single piece consisting of an upstanding rigid jaw adapted to engage the inner face of the rim, and a spaced hook-shaped rigid jaw of less height than the first mentioned jaw and spaced from the same to hook about the rim.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a table to support. a rim with a tire thereon, of a plurality of stationary rim-engaging members mounted on the top of the table, the latter having an opening in its top, an upright lever, means for pivoting the lower end of said lever at a point below the table top, said lever projecting through said opening above the table, a movable rim-engaging member pivotally connected to the upper end of said lever above the table top, a nut provided on said lever below the table top, a screw mounted beneath the table top and engaging said nut, and hand-operated means for said screw.

12. In a tire rim expanding and contracting tool, the combination of a support, a pair of fixed spaced rim abutments secured to the support, a movable rim-engaging member mounted on the support to swing freely in a plane parallel to the support, mechanism for moving the rim-engaging member in opposite directions to expand or contract a rim in cooperation with the fixed abutments, said movable member acting to coil the tire rim by reason of its capability of lateral swinging during the forcible 1ongitudinal displacement.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afixed my signature.

JULIUS M. BORN. 

